Merrill, Moreno win fishing tournament

Joe Merrill shows his big catch, a bass weighing in at a whopping 12.51 pounds. Photo provided by Jude Donahue

The rain didn’t deter members of the Bassmasters Club from participating in the club’s monthly fishing tournament on Dec. 7.

Joe Merrill and 16-year-old Austin Moreno came in first place. Their top five fish weighed in at a whopping 27.10 pounds. Joe also caught the “Big Fish of the Day” with a bass weighing 12.51 pounds.

With a total fish weight of 19.09 pounds, the team of Kevin Hugo and Jim Wright came in second place.

Travis Smith and Jerry Jones took third place with a total fish weight of 14.54 pounds.

Fishermen in eight boats participated. Teams have a limit of five fish. All fish are released back into the lake.

The Bassmasters Club meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Magnolia Room at the country club. Tournaments are typically held on the first Saturday of each month.

Residents who like to fish and want to improve their skills in a low-stress, friendly and competitive environment are invited to join. For more information about membership, contact Terry Voss at 951-536-9341.